Alum’s journey from UC Davis football captain to winemaker

Former Aggie football captain Derek Baljeu ’17, M.S. ’18 has found his calling in the world of wine, bringing his dedication from the game field to the vineyards as a winemaker in Napa Valley.

After taking the class “Introduction to Winemaking” his first year to fulfill a general education requirement, Baljeu says he fell in love with the subject. He soon changed his major to viticulture and enology and began his first winemaking internship at a small family winery.

“My first day in the vineyards, I showed up in this nice, formal wine tasting attire, with a collared shirt like in the photos I saw online," he recalls. “However, I spent the next 14 hours trekking through mud and fixing irrigation lines. At the end of the day, I was tired and covered in dirt from head to toe, but I loved it—the job was much more engaging than I thought.”

As captain of the football team, Baljeu balanced the demands of being a student-athlete with his viticulture studies. The physical demands of vineyard work were also a good match for his athletic background.

“When I began working in the wine industry, I did a lot of physical labor in the vineyard. It came pretty easily to me, thanks to my background as a football player,” he said.

Baljeu enjoyed the UC Davis viticulture and enology program so much that he continued on to also earn a master’s degree. He is now the winemaker of Knights Bridge Winery in Calistoga, working in 80 acres of family-owned vineyards to craft classic wines.

For Baljeu, winemaking is as much art as science. Each vintage represents a journey from vine to bottle, where every decision—from harvest timing to aging methods—shapes the wine's ultimate character.

“I think of winemaking as an art and find inspiration by talking to other winemakers and other artists about their craft,” says Baljeu. “There's a lot of finesse when making wines, and the creative process is rewarding.”

A voice for change

Looking back on his career path, Baljeu notes the lack of diversity in the winemaking industry and hopes to lead the way for future generations.

“When I was becoming a winemaker, I never saw anybody who looked like me doing what I'm doing. By being here, I hope I'm making it easier for people who come after me.”

He finds encouragement in grassroots movements reshaping the winemaking landscape, with organizations like the Association of African American Vintners creating new pathways for historically marginalized identities to succeed in the industry.

His impact was recognized by Forbes magazine in March 2024 with the article, “Black History Always: Derek Baljeu Is Tackling the Wine World,” which highlighted his work to diversify the field.

Advice for fellow Aggies

Baljeu's connection to UC Davis remains strong – between vintages and harvests, the alum still makes time to return to campus to cheer on his alma mater.

“There's so much diversity on campus, so many folks in different walks of life getting to go through this really high-quality educational channel. It's a beautiful place to be a student, I wouldn't trade it for anything.”

During his own student days, Baljeu appreciated the support of the Athletics program and the resources offered to help students succeed.

“Being a collegiate athlete is a big-time commitment, and it's great to see the amount of effort the school invests in the teams to support us and the school,” he said. “There’s a strong sense of community that comes within the football team. You develop this whole network through people you know from sports.”

Baljeu offers a refreshing and grounded perspective from his post-graduate years to current students:

“Focus on making your next step the most important one, not the one that's three steps ahead. Do the best job you can where you're at right now, and everything else will take care of itself.”

Baljeu is now finishing up his MBA in Wine Business from Sonoma State University while working full time in the winery, and in the future, he knows exactly what he wants:

“To be a role model and mentor for anyone of color wanting to enter the wine industry and make timeless wines.”